Solomon Islands
This Melanesian country is best known for its many islands and beaches... and this
natural landscape (pictured) is why most people go. Don't miss out on the unique
Melanesian culture and foods though! Begin Your Journey!

Vanuatu
Picturesque serenity is a good way to describe Vanuatu, but the culture offers much
more, including the inspiration for bungee jumping, which remains a rite of passage
for young men. Explore Vanuatu!

Federated States of Micronesia
This diverse country stretches for thousands of miles and has the diversity to prove
it, including the people from Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Yap among others.
Begin Your Journey!

Samoa
Among the most famous of the South Pacific's many countries, Samoa sits in the
heart of Polynesia and has a culture to match. Begin Your Journey!

Geography, Weather, & Wildlife of the Federated States of Micronesia

Geography

Landscape

The Federated States of Micronesia
consist of four island groups in the Micronesia island region, or more specifically
the Caroline Islands chain. The geography of the islands are very diverse as some
are coral reefs, but most are volcanic in origin and tend to have greater elevation.

Of the islands that are volcanic in origin, the soils are very fertile, despite
the inconsistent rains. Despite this inconsistency, the lands are fertile and most
of the volcanic islands are forested. There are no true rivers or lakes on the islands
of Micronesia and the highest point in the country is Totolom, which is just over
2,500 feet (790 meters) high.

Despite sitting closely to New Guinea, and the Philippines,
the ocean currents swirl, but generally move from the east to the west. These currents
have brought people to the islands from Polynesia, although most people are both
Polynesian and Micronesian in origin. However, these ocean currents aren't enough
to attract regular visitors so over time the people on the
Federated States of Micronesia became almost completely isolated and developed
a unique culture.

The Federated States of Micronesia's
weather is hot, humid, rainy, and fairly predictable. Temperatures remain fairly
constant year round and rains never cease, but there are substantial differences
in the amounts of rain, the humidity, and the storm season. The vast amounts of
rain year round make the islands, at least the volcanic islands, ideal for crop
growth and human settlement. These rains allow great vegetation and fresh water,
even on islands that don't boast any rivers.

The temperatures on the islands remain quite stable year round as daily lows hover
around 74° F (23° C) and day time highs usually peak at about 86° F (30° C). Even
the rains are fairly consistent as the islands average over 11 inches (300 mm) of
rain every month of the year, including the dry season.

Despite the consistency, there is still a "dry" and rainy season, although
dry is only in relative terms to the wet season. The dry season, which runs from
about October to March is just as hot as it is year round and every month gets over
11 inches (300 mm) of rain. While this may seem like a lot of rain, compared to
the wet season it isn't.

The wet season, which runs from about April to November regularly has over 15 inches
(400 mm) of rain each month and the air is much more humid. On some islands, such
as Pohnpei, the rains are even heavier as the island often gets over 32 feet (10
meters) of rain annually! Although typhoons (cyclones) are well known throughout
the Pacific, the Federated States of Micronesia
falls out of the typhoon zone. Despite this, heavy storms and a typhoon off course
can still hit the islands any time of year, but most commonly during the wet season.

Wildlife

Orchids

As an island nation the number of native plants and animals in the
Federated States of Micronesia are severely limited. The land animals were
almost completely absent and the plant life was small; only the migrating birds
and sea life had any significant presence in historic Micronesia. Most of what is
found on the islands today was introduced in pre-historic times by the migrating
people, birds, winds, and ocean currents.

Since nearly all mammals are land animals there were no native mammals to the Federated States of Micronesia,
although a few bat species arrived thousands of years ago. Other than this, no land
mammals existed on the Federated States of Micronesia until the arrival of the earliest
people, who likely came from the region of New Guinea and brought with them pigs,
dogs, mice, and rats by the 1200s, if not earlier.

The other historic mammals connected with the
Federated States of Micronesia are in the sea as dolphins and whales are
present in the waters surrounding the islands. These waters are also filled with
thousands of fish, shellfish, and other forms of sea life. In these waters you can
find surgeonfish, clownfish, sailfish, puffer fish, butterfly fish, grouper, barracuda,
tuna, mackerel, marlin, mahi-mahi, shrimp, krill, crab, seahorses, manta rays, sharks,
jellyfish, starfish, and sea urchins among many others.

This sea life and the islands have also attracted numerous birds, including many
that feed off the animals in the sea. The bird life in the
Federated States of Micronesia includes doves, owls, passerines, scrub fowls,
and heron among others.

Bananas

Like the mammalian life in the Federated
States of Micronesia, the reptilian and amphibious life is fairly limited
as well. The most common of these animals are those adapted to the water and swimming
as sea turtles can be found in the nearby waters. Land species have again made their
way to the islands in numerous methods and today lizards are among the most common
of these animals.

The insect and other small animal life is fairly diverse as many insects can fly
or float and have made their way to the Federated
States of Micronesia. These animals include butterflies, bees, ants, flies,
snails, spiders, and worms among others.

Like the animal life, which is limited due to the geography of the
Federated States of Micronesia, the plant life is also very limited. It
is doubtful any plants originated in the Federated States of Micronesia itself other
than a very limited number of local grasses, shrubs, and trees. However the winds
and water currents have taken seeds to the islands and in other cases birds have
transported seeds to the islands. Because of this many of the most common plants
on the islands today are native to the nearby islands of New Guinea and those further
west. Plants from these nearby islands that now thrive in the country include coconuts,
taro, breadfruit, bananas, yams, lemons, and sugarcane among others.

There is also a substantial presence of other trees and plants, including orchids,
ferns, mosses, hibiscus, eucalyptus, mangrove trees, and pandanus trees.